Turn On Some Music!

‘Cause music’s been my therapy Taking the pain from all my anatomy Oh and my anatomy It’s my symphony, always stay with me You know that the world ain’t right Baby, lots of people stay uptight I’ll go crazy If something ever happened to my musical thrill And darling your love is just like my music
Marvin Gaye – Turn on Some Music

Music is structural, mathematical and architectural. It’s constructed on interactions between one note and the next. We may not be fully aware, however our brain has to do a lot of processing to make sense of it. Vibrations travel through the air and inside our ear canal. These vibrations tickle our eardrum and are conducted into an electrical signal that tours through the auditory nerve to our brain stem, where it’s reassembled into what we identify as music. Music is a basic element of the human genus. Practically all civilizations, from the first and most primitive to the modern and most advanced, make music. In every era of human narration and in every culture globally, music has allowed the earth’s population to express feelings and connect with one another. More than simply expressing emotions, music can be mood changing. Music also has major effects on many aspects of our health, ranging from memory and mood to cardiovascular function and athletic performance. Modern medicine tell us that music can improve the function of our neural networks, slow our heart rate, lower blood pressure, reduce our levels of stress hormones and inflammatory cytokines, and provide some relief to those of us undergoing surgery, as well as heart attack and stroke victims.

Listening to a song can have an effect on various parts of our brain, with studies showing that areas responsible for aspects, such as memory and vision, illuminate in response to music. Our brain and nervous system are intended to distinguish music from noise and to respond to rhythm and repetition, tones and tunes. Music arrives at the ear in the form of sound waves. The exterior ear gathers the sound waves, and the ear canal channels them to the eardrum. As the waves strike the eardrum, they cause it to vibrate. The vibrations are relayed along the chain of tiny bones in the middle ear until they reach the third bone, the stapes, which connects to the cochlea. Cochlea is filled with fluid that surrounds around 15,000 tiny hair cells called cilia. Vibrations of the stapes send fluid waves through the spiral-shaped cochlea. The fluid waves produce swaying movements of the hair cells. In turn, these cells release chemical neurotransmitters that activate the auditory nerve, sending miniature electric currents to the auditory cortex in the temporal lobe of the brain. From there, things get a little more intricate. Analyses using MRI and Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans imply that nerve networks in different parts of our brains endure primary responsibility for decrypting and translating several components of music. A small area in the right temporal lobe is vital to perceive pitch, which forms the basis of melody, chords and harmony. Another nearby center is responsible for deciphering timbre, the quality that allows the brain to distinguish between different instruments that are playing the same note. A different part of the brain, the cerebellum, processes rhythm, and the frontal lobes interpret the emotional content of music.

There is strong scientific indication supporting the use of music therapy for mood augmentation and anxiety and or stress relief. For most, music is a key part of our day. Some of us rely on music to get through morning traffic, while others turn up our favorite workout playlist to stay focused during our workout. Many of us even have our blue tooth speakers “blasting” when we’re cooking, taking a shower, cleaning house or our ear buds in while doing yard work. Music is often related to our temperament. A certain song can make us feel cheerful, blue, spirited, or tranquil. All forms of music can have therapeutic effects, although music from our own culture may be most effective. Types of music differ in the types of neurological stimulation they evoke. Everyone reacts to music in different ways. Jazz may cause comfort and relaxation in some, while EDM may cause to discomfort to others. If you grew up listening to hip-hop, you may not find country music stirring at all, or vice versa. The effect of different types of music on mood will largely depend on our singular fondness and experience. Music can be used as a passage for expressing things that we’re unable to put into words. It can also act as a provocation to arouse forgotten memories or induce emotional responses. It can give us a sense of control back, as well as producing a calm atmosphere and overcrowding out some of the negative turbulences. Music can also beseech particular memories for us, including some that could potentially make us upset. On the other hand, it could also bring us out of an introverted state or act as a form of interaction in place of words. Music can be used with directed imagery to create altered states of consciousness that help uncover hidden emotional responses and stimulate productive insight. Music can be used either, as a means of communication and self-expression or for its intrinsic recuperative or healing qualities.

We all know from our own experiences that listening to music can affect our mood. Some of us listen to music for motivation to make it through a hard day, while others amongst us may use it to keep ourselves alert while on a long road trip or to expel unconstructive feelings. Research has shown that listening to music can reduce our anxiety, blood pressure, and pain as well as improve our sleep quality, mood, mental alertness, and memory. When we want to firm up our body, we should head out to the gym. When we want to exercise our brain, we should listen to music, there are few things that stimulate our minds and touch our soul’s the way music does.